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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22912525">There You Are</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/tabbytabbytabby/pseuds/tabbytabbytabby'>tabbytabbytabby</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Hospitals, Hurt Carlos Reyes, Light Angst, Love Confessions, M/M, Panic Attacks, Worried TK Strand</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 15:26:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,358</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22912525</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/tabbytabbytabby/pseuds/tabbytabbytabby</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Carlos gets hurt on the job, TK worries.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Carlos Reyes/TK Strand</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>358</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>There You Are</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For the anon on tumblr who wanted Carlos getting injured on the job and worried TK.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>TK knows something is wrong the moment his dad enters the room. He's quiet, and his face is pulled down in a frown TK rarely sees. He frowns, sure, but this is his serious frown. It's one he wore the night he told him his mom had left them. It's not something here can easily forget. Which is why TK is instantly on edge when he sees the look now. </p>
<p>His dad sits across from him in his favorite recliner and puts his hands in his lap. "TK."</p>
<p>"What is?" TK asks, sitting up straighter. "Are you alright? Do I need to take you to the hospital?"</p>
<p>His dad waves him off. "No. No. I'm fine."</p>
<p>"But something is wrong," TK says. "Isn't it?"</p>
<p>His dad sighs. "It is. Now I don't want you to freak out."</p>
<p>"Okay, well that does make me want to freak out!"</p>
<p>"TK… I don't know how to tell you this. Nothing will make it easier. So I'm just going to say it." He meets TK's gaze and immediately TK wants to stop the words from leaving his dad's mouth. As if him not saying them can make them less real. "Carlos was shot on a call, TK. He…"</p>
<p>A loud ringing sounds in TK's ears. He loses focus for a moment, his mind only able to grab onto one thing. </p>
<p>Carlos was shot. He was shot, and TK was here. He hadn't been with him.</p>
<p>"Oh God," TK whispers. He brings his hand up to his chest at the sudden ache there. He tries to take a breath to calm himself but the air won't come. He can't breathe. "Dad."</p>
<p>"You need to breathe, TK," his dad tells him. He takes one of TK's hands and places it on his chest. "Like this, okay?"</p>
<p>"Dad I never told him," TK says, the words coming out broken and miserable. The reality that Carlos could be gone hits him and TK had never been able to say the words, to tell him how much he cares about him. That he <em>loves</em> him. </p>
<p>Because he does. He'd spent so long trying to protect his heart that he never realized Carlos has chipping away at his walls. He's burrowed himself deep inside, and surprisingly that doesn't scare TK as much as it once would. Not as much as the thought of losing him does.</p>
<p>"You still can tell him," his dad assures him.</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"He's in surgery, but they're hoping he'll pull through."</p>
<p>"Why didn't you just tell me that?!"</p>
<p>"To be fair son, I did. You were too busy panicking to hear me. Which I get. You love him. You're worried."</p>
<p>TK runs a hand down his face, "Yeah."</p>
<p>"So why are you still sitting here?" his dad asks him. "You should be with him."</p>
<p>His dad is right, of course. The fear is still there as his dad drives him to the hospital, as he walks through the automatic doors through the lobby down the hall. It grows as he stands in the elevator, fidgeting nervously as he waits to reach the third floor. </p>
<p>He sees Michele when he steps off. She's standing in the waiting room, a hand resting on her head as she looks out the window. She turns at the sound of his footsteps, and TK sees the relief on her face as she moves towards him. </p>
<p>"I'm so glad you're here," she says, and pulls him in for a hug. </p>
<p>"How is he?" TK asks.</p>
<p>"I'm not sure," she replies. She pulls back with a sigh and leads him towards a couple chairs. "He's still in surgery. The doctor's seemed hopeful when they took him. But I don't think I'll be able to relax until I see him."</p>
<p>"Me either," TK admits. </p>
<p>"No, I imagine you can't." Michelle smiles sadly. "He was asking for you, you know? That's one of the reasons I called your dad."</p>
<p>"One of them?"</p>
<p>"Yeah. And I knew you'd want to be here for him."</p>
<p>"Yeah." TK looks down at his hands. They're shaking where they rest on his lap. He clenches his fist, digging his nails into his palm in an effort to calm himself. "I can't lose him."</p>
<p>Michelle wraps an arm around him and rests her chin on his shoulder. "You won't. Carlos is strong, and a fighter. He's going to pull through this. You need to believe that."</p>
<p>TK takes a shuddering breath and nods. Neither one say anything for a while. They sit there in silence, looking out into the darkness outside the window. It would be peaceful if they were here for any other reason. If they weren't worrying about Carlos. </p>
<p>They turn at the sound of wheels on the carpet. TK's out of his seat in an instant when he sees Carlos on the stretcher. </p>
<p>"How is he?" TK asks, rushing forward. </p>
<p>A nurse puts a hand up, keeping him back. "Are you family?"</p>
<p>"I'm his boyfriend," TK says, the words coming easily to him. </p>
<p>"He's okay," Michelle says, stepping up next to him. "This is TK, the one Carlos was asking for."</p>
<p>The nurse turns to the doctor, who’s just stepped back out of the room they brought Carlos into. "He's stable," the doctor tells them. "He came through surgery really well. He's resting now but should wake up soon if you want to see him."</p>
<p>TK lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He barely takes time to thank the doctor before moving towards the door. He stops just inside, his heart breaking at the sight of Carlos like this. </p>
<p>He pulls a seat close to the bed and sits down, taking Carlos' hand in his. "You have no idea how worried I've been. When I heard you were shot my whole world stopped. And uhh… it put a lot of things into perspective I guess. And I really wish you were awake so could look into those ridiculous eyes of yours when I tell you how much I fucking love you."</p>
<p>Carlos' fingers squeeze his and he holds his breath, waiting. "I think you did a pretty good job of it without seeing my eyes," Carlos says. </p>
<p>TK laughs and leans forward. He brings a hand up to Carlos' face and brushes his fingers across his cheek. "I'd still like to see them." Carlos blinks his eyes open and TK smiles. "There you are."</p>
<p>"Here I am," Carlos says, giving him a tired smile. "I imagine I don't look like much right now."</p>
<p>"You look amazing," TK tells him. "You look alive."</p>
<p>“Thank god for that,” Carlos sighs. “For a moment there I wasn’t sure I was going to make it. All I could think about was you.”</p>
<p>“Yeah Michelle said you were asking for me,” TK says. He frowns and looks around. “She was here. But I don’t know where she went.”</p>
<p>“Probably decided to give us some time when you decided to get all emotional over my unconscious body.”</p>
<p>“But you weren’t unconscious.”</p>
<p>“You didn’t know that when you started talking and saying all those things,” Carlos teases.</p>
<p>“I meant them,” TK tells him. “All of it. I love you, Carlos. I should have told you sooner but I…”</p>
<p>“It’s okay,” Carlos cuts in. “You don’t owe me an explanation. I know you’ve been through a lot and you’ve been pretty protective of your heart. I get it. But…”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“It’s still nice to hear it,” Carlos says. “Especially since I almost died and that’s the first thing I heard when I woke up.”</p>
<p>“Well you’ll be hearing it a lot more,” TK says. He leans up and kisses him, soft and lingering. “I love you.”</p>
<p>“I love you too, Ty.” </p>
<p>TK smiles at the nickname. Carlos only ever calls him that when they’re alone. He’s the <em>only</em> one that calls him that. And he always will be if TK has any say about it. Now that he knows what he has he’s not about to let it go anytime soon. Or ever. Carlos is stuck with him. From the way he’s smiling at him, TK doesn’t think he minds.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading! Kudos/comments make my day 💜<br/><a href="http://tabbytabbytabby.tumblr.com/">My tumblr</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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